MANCHESTER, Tenn. – In a couple of hours, the first notes of the 2017 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival will ring out across the 700-acre farm that has been home to the event since 2002, and most of us who are here, especially those of us who have been here before, have questions.
We always have questions, of course. Whether it is your first trip to the farm or your 16th, there are always uncertainties and it’s part of what makes it so exciting. Who will be the surprise hit of the weekend, for example? Which singer(s) or band(s) will blow your mind and become your new favorite act(s)?
My Morning Jacket and Bahamas have been two of my “discoveries,” though discovering MMJ is like saying you discovered a continent. There is also always the question of which acts will show up as a surprise guest during somebody’s set.
Barry CourterBonnaroo hosts what it calls Superjams a couple of times each year and past showcases have paired people like Jim James, John Oates, Brittany Howard, Larry Graham, R. Kelly and Billy Idol. That was a great show, by the way.
But, there have been some unscheduled collaborations as well. Warren Haynes, who has played with everyone at some point in his career, joined moe. in 2003. Andrew Bird famously jumped on stage with MMJ in 2006, and in 2008, they had Zach Galifianakis join them for a cover of Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home.”
I missed that because this was performed in the rain at the end of a four-hour set that started at midnight, by the way. I saw the first two hours, including Metallica’s Kirk Hammett joining them on “One Big Holiday,” and fell in love with the band.
Many of the questions are weather-related, such as just how hot will it get. There are always the questions of “Did I bring enough food and water?” and “What important thing did I forget?” It’s too late now, unless you are coming up sometime this weekend, but things to definitely not forget are sunscreen, comfortable shoes and shade/rain cover.
Most of the other things can be purchased on-site or bartered for with a neighbor. The sense of community and taking care of each other is one of the coolest things about Bonnaroo. Trading an ice cream cup for a sandwich or a cold drink with someone you just met is part of the experience.
I’ll be doing live updates on Facebook (facebook.com/barrycourter) and Twitter (#BarryJC) with words and photos throughout the weekend.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.